Monday, 25th February 2008

SPORTS SHORTS

* The Australian government said Sunday it will formally support the country's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd leading the tilt for the sport's premier event. Australia's premier promised to put the bid on the agenda for next month's Council of Australian Governments meeting of federal, state and territory leaders. The 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa and Brazil will host the 2014 event. Interactiveinvestor, 25th Feb 2008


MORE NEWS

Japan/New Media: Japan launches internet satellite

Japan's space agency launched an experimental communications satellite Saturday designed to enable super high-speed data transmission at home and in Southeast Asia. The domestically developed H-2A rocket carrying the satellite, "Kizuna," was launched from the southern island of Tanegashima, according to a live internet broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA.

The agency said it hoped to enable data transmission of up to 1.2 Gbps at a low cost across Japan and in 19 different places in Southeast Asia. JAXA developed Kizuna with another government agency, the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. The cost of the satellite's development, launch and operation is estimated at $480 million, JAXA spokeswoman Asaka Hagiwara said.

Japan has yet to join the lucrative international satellite market, and Kizuna, which should be in operation for five years, is not intended for commercial use. Its large H-2A rocket is one of the most advanced and reliable in the world. telecomasia.net, cbsnews.com, CNN, 25th Feb 2008

Elsewhere/General: GlobeCast extends partnership with IEC in Sports

GlobeCast has inked an exclusive deal to provide sports marketing agency IEC in Sports with contribution and distribution services till December 2009, bringing the partnership to 10 years.Under the agreement, over 3,000 hours of live programming from more than 250 sporting events are expected to be distributed worldwide annually via GlobeCast’s content delivery network. Facilities including downlink, uplink, capacity, encoding and encryption as well as station facilities are also included.

GlobeCast is also responsible for the European and Asian distribution of IEC’s four weekly television productions including World of Athletics, World of Tennis, FINA Aquatics World and Road to Beijing. The 26-minute magazine shows are distributed via satellite from GlobeCast’s London Technical Operations Centre where the signals are encrypted and uplinked to satellites covering Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.

As the official TV agent for sports governing bodies including the world swimming association (FINA), International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and Badminton World Federation (BWF), IEC supplies feeds to broadcasters including NBC, TV Globo, CCTV, Fuji TV, PCCW, Al-Jazeera and Eurosport. Asia Television, 25th Feb 2008